Venezuela’s leading opposition figure María Corina Machado has said she plans to return to her home country as soon as possible and is pushing for a new national election, following the U.S. operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

Machado, who has been living outside Venezuela after spending more than a year in hiding, made the comments in recent media appearances as political uncertainty grows over the country’s future leadership and the role Washington will play in a post-Maduro transition.

Why It Matters

Venezuela is at a pivotal moment after decades of authoritarian rule, economic collapse and mass emigration. Machado’s return could reshape the opposition’s strategy at a time when the United States appears divided over whether to immediately support new elections or work with interim authorities tied to the former government. The outcome could influence regional stability, global oil markets and Venezuela’s long-delayed democratic transition.

What to Know

Machado said she intends to go back to Venezuela “as soon as possible,” explaining that her movements have been guided by where she can best serve the opposition cause. “Every day I make a decision where I am more useful for our cause,” she said, adding that she spent more than 16 months in hiding before deciding to speak publicly again, according to footage shared by Sky News.

In an interview reported by Reuters, Machado said the opposition is prepared to win a free and fair election, arguing that the 2024 vote—held while she was banned from running—was marred by fraud. She said the opposition had already demonstrated overwhelming support, claiming it would win more than 90 percent of the vote under fair conditions.

Despite her optimism, uncertainty remains. U.S. officials have publicly suggested that Venezuela’s institutions must be stabilized before any election can be held, casting doubt on how quickly a vote could take place.

What People Are Saying

In a clip from an interview shared by Sky News via her Fox News appearance, Machado said: “I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible… I believed at this moment I am being more useful for our cause being able to speak out from where I am right now. But I’m planning to go as soon as possible back home.”

During a separate appearance on Fox News, Machado said Maduro barred her from running because he feared losing power. In a video posted by Sean Hannity, she said: “Cowardly, he feared us; he feared me, Maduro, so he thought that by banning me, he would stop us from winning. But exactly the opposite happened… we managed to bring a country together and defeated Maduro by a landslide.”

Machado has praised former President Donald Trump for the U.S. operation that led to Maduro’s capture, calling it a historic turning point, while also criticizing senior officials who remain in power as responsible for corruption and human rights abuses.